


Slytherin Savior

by Minervas_Revenge



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-22 00:35:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7411424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minervas_Revenge/pseuds/Minervas_Revenge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco finds Hermione living in the streets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

 

Despite that Draco had never been a vegetable eater, the house-elves insisted on putting them on his dinner plate. He pushed them aside with his fork and remembered the meal he bought for someone else earlier in the day.

 

“Father, you will never guess who I saw begging in Diagon Alley today,” he announced.

 

“You are, undoubtedly, correct,” Lucius replied, distracted. As had become typical since Narcissa’s whirlwind divorce and departure, Lucius’ nose was in a book. He spent his days gardening potions ingredients and his nights, stirring them.

 

“Hermione Granger.”

 

At that, Lucius glanced up at his son, “You are certain?”

 

“Yeah! She sent her Obliviated parents to Australia and lost her wand and you know how it is for Muggle-borns these days. She has to apply for a new one but hasn’t the Galleons. She tried living with the _Weasleys_ but Molly treated her like a house-elf and she couldn’t stand being there when Ron brought his girlfriend around.”

 

“And you know this because..?”

 

“I bought her lunch.”

 

“I didn’t realize you were friends.”

 

Draco shrugged. “She’s the only one I respect out of her lot. She looked a bit rough, to be honest.”

 

“Her friends?” Lucius prompted.

 

“Abandoned her,” Draco said, looking disgusted.

 

“Hm,” Lucius replied, returning to his book. He and his son fell back into the customary silence that surrounded their evening meals. Lucius felt that Draco needed to find a wife, move out and move on. The boy seemed, if nothing else, sympathetic to the notorious Muggle-born witch’s plight. Perhaps Lucius should find a way to inspire his son’s interest. She would not be in her situation long. She was intelligent and some family would take her in, despite her unfortunate lineage.

**Chapter 1**

 

“Where am I?” Hermione asked, finally emerging from her fever.

 

A house-elf offered her some water. “Master’s private rooms,” it answered.

 

The room was dark but Hermione spotted a potions bench teeming with vials and ingredients as she gingerly sat up. Her hands shook with disuse as she accepted the glass.

 

“Master?”

 

“Master Lucius,” the house-elf answered solemnly.

 

Hermione couldn’t tell if the house-elf was male or female in its pillowcase gown but it was clean and appeared devoid of abuse. She had been told on several occasions that Dobby was an anomaly not to mention a bit mad.

 

“How long have I been here?” she asked after cautiously sipping the water. The room did not meet Hermione’s expectations for a Malfoy. It looked like the workshop of a Potions Master. There were greens drying from a rack and a small library of old-looking books.

 

“Three days, Miss.”

 

“Lucius Malfoy took me in?” she affirmed.

 

“Master Lucius brought you here, Miss. Does Miss be wanting soup?”

 

“That sounds lovely,” Hermione replied, mouth filing with saliva at the thought of a hot meal.

 

The house-elf slipped away and Hermione fell into a restful sleep, wondering why, of all wizards, Lucius Malfoy had taken her in.

 

~*~

 

“How are you feeling?”

 

Hermione blinked, remembering that she was in Lucius Malfoy’s private rooms.

“Mr. Malfoy, I can’t thank you enough,” she said. “I thought I was going to die.”

 

“You might have if I hadn’t found you,” Lucius replied.

 

“Thank you,” she said again, lamely unable to convey the depth of her gratitude.

 

“I’ll have Geddin bring you clean robes. There’s a small bathroom through that door.”

 

Before Hermione could ask him why he was taking care of her, he was gone. She felt tired just from their brief exchange but the promise of a hot shower was powerful enough to get her up. The sensation of warm water on her grimy, stained skin was lovely. Hermione helped herself to soap. She was not sure when she would again have the opportunity to bathe. She remained under the searing heat until her fingers and toes went wrinkly.

 

A set of robes were neatly folded on the cot. Hogwarts uniforms bearing the Slytherin crest. They had given her Draco’s old school robes? Hermione slowly pulled them on, feeling at odds. She was part amused and part melancholy. Hogwarts seemed a very long time ago. They had been children forced to grow-up in the face of a war, no matter how blessedly short. Hermione began working a brush through her tangled hair. Since the fall of Voldemort, Draco seemed to have grown the start of a heart. When he’d bought her lunch the other day, he’d been genuinely interested in her situation. Hermione had refused his offer of money, though. Was it Draco’s influence that brought her to Lucius’ potions workroom?

 

A polite knock preceded the door opening a sliver.

 

“I’m decent,” she offered.

 

“Ms. Granger, since you are here, would you be willing to assist me with a particularly tricky potion?”

 

Hermione blinked up at the wizard. “Absolutely,” she answered. She would be willing to trim his toenails if he would allow her to stay.

 

Lucius showed Hermione a hidden door that led to a sort of greenhouse lit by magic sunlight. The inside was an immaculate spread of all sorts of plants. Hermione thought it an interesting contrast to the state of the workroom. Lucius set her to gathering some trimmings and lit the workroom. For the rest of the day, Hermione helped the wizard with any task he put her to and offered her opinions only when asked. A house-elf brought her a simple lunch of soup and crackers and Lucius stepped out for what she imagined to be a more lavish meal.

 

Lucius was not sure if he was pleased or pained that Hermione made such an agreeable assistant. He assumed the bossy witch he recalled would make an appearance but she seemed to be quite humbled. His dominant nature found her docility distressingly attractive.

 

Although Lucius had set out to check on the girl with Draco in mind, he had been unable to leave her semi-conscious in Knockturn Alley. She would not have survived the night. Once he brought her home, Lucius left her in the house-elves’ care and hid her away in his workroom. He hadn’t yet told Draco the girl was in the Manor to give her the chance to regain her health. As long as the girl was in his way, he might as well make use of her competence.

 

Lucius returned to find her napping. He motioned for Geddin to wake her up.

 

“Would you be willing to continue to assist me?” Lucius asked when she was awake once more.

 

“Yes,” she gushed.

 

“Would you like to stay here?” Lucius asked, already seeing the answer in her welling eyes.

 

“Very much, thank you!”

 

~*~

 

An unusual chapter of life began for Hermione. She was not a prisoner but she did not feel free to leave the workroom. In fact, she was rather relieved to stay hidden. It wasn’t like anyone was looking for her, anyway.

 

In the morning, Geddin brought her breakfast and clean robes. Hermione would review potions that Lucius intended to work on and make a list of necessary ingredients. If Hermione had comments on the potion, she would mark them in the book margin. Lucius did not seem to mind. What he did mind was Hermione touching him.

 

She had leaned across the workbench to hand Lucius a sprig of twisted applevine at the same moment he reached for it. Her fingers had barely brushed his and he jumped as if stung. Hermione had not apologized. She’d been so surprised and hurt that she spent the rest of the day keeping a measured distance. Obviously, Lucius still found her inferior.

 

There were days that Lucius would spend hours in silent research at his desk. Hermione would complement his quiet study by tending the greenhouse plants or reading. On those days, she thought she could feel Lucius’ eyes following her but she never caught him looking. However, never once did she sense hate from Lucius. Given his strong reaction to her touching him, Hermione thought surely he loathed her very being. It was confusing, to say the least. But, Hermione said nothing.

 

Another day came when Hermione touched Lucius. It was inevitable working in such close quarters. He cut his hand on snarling wormwood thorns and, automatically, Hermione moved to bandage it. For a moment, Lucius allowed her to clean his wound, stood as still as stone, as a matter of fact, but then he muttered something and pulled away. He healed the spot with his wand and Hermione felt like a fool. Magic, of course. Hermione was horribly embarrassed. She missed her wand.


	2. Chapter 2

“Well, well, well,” Draco muttered, following Geddin through a door in his father’s bedroom that he’d never known existed.

 

Geddin had the wherewithal to look sheepish. Hermione Granger looked quite well.

 

“This explains so much,” Draco sighed.

 

“Hello, Draco. I take it you didn’t know that I was here.”

 

Draco chuckled and swiped the orange from her lunch tray. “I thought all the extra meals were going to his mistress. _Or, are they_?”

 

“No, no. No.” Hermione emphasized.

 

“Hm,” Draco lifted a brow at the witch but she lifted one right back at him. Draco chuckled again and began peeling the orange.

 

“My father is making money off of you. He’s selling your potions.”

 

“They’re his. And I don’t care. Until you’ve been hungry like I have, you cannot understand. Your priorities change.”

 

“Nice robes,” Draco chortled. It was too funny to see the Gryffindor in his old school robes. For a moment, it sent him back to the days when a witch in his robes meant she was sneaking back to her room after a naughty night, having earned them.

 

“I am housed, clean, healthy, and fed. I don’t give a damn what he does with our work,” she said, dismissing his comment about her attire.

 

Draco popped a slice of orange into his mouth. “You’re just going to stay here?”

 

“I have no other prospects. I may never do better.”

 

Draco strolled past the workbench, eyeing the neatly arranged cauldrons, stirring spoons, and hanging ingredients.

 

“I understand desperation.” He peeled the orange more, dropping the peels as he went. “I was told I must kill a great wizard or my family would be murdered.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Hermione muttered.

 

Draco was sorry, too. Sorry that he brought it up. He didn’t want to talk about those days. So much had been so wrong. “Me, too.” He sighed, chewing. “It isn’t fair that you’re being kept this way.”

 

“Whoever said life was fair?”

 

The witch’s incredulous sincerity made Draco smile. He liked this witch. “No one with any sort of experience actually living in the world. All the same, I will not allow you to continue living in my father’s secret rooms. _It’s creepy_.”

 

Draco wondered at her blush. Was there something else between her and his father? Draco shuddered to think. “I’m getting you proper robes and you’ll eat at our table. If you continue to support our family, it shall be by your choice.”

 

The witch shrugged. “I’m happy like this.”

 

Draco shook his head at her. “We can do better.”

 

~*~

 

Lucius noted a third person at the table as he entered the dining room and thought Draco had finally invited a witch. He got a shock to see her staring at him with fear and realized that it was Hermione. The witch had been dressed in proper witches’ robes. Something Narcissa had left, sized down for her petite figure. Her brown eyes were wide, waiting for his reaction.

 

“Good evening, Ms. Granger, son,” Lucius greeted as he took his chair.

 

“Is that all?” Draco demanded, petulant as ever.

 

“I was hiding her from you. Apparently, you found her,” Lucius gestured airily.

 

“I don’t understand,” Draco countered, frowning.

 

“I didn’t think that you would.” Lucius knew he wasn’t helping matters but he was in no mood to banter with the boy.

 

“What?”

 

“You told me her story. I could not leave her out there knowing how you feel about her. However, after I brought her in, I thought you wouldn’t understand.” Lucius bit out the words, unhappy to be put on the spot to explain himself. He noted the exchange of glances between the two.

 

“How I feel about her?” Draco repeated with a frown. “Father, I felt sympathetic towards her troubles. That’s all.”

 

“Ah, I see. Then I need not have hid her at all,” Lucius replied with a nonchalance he didn’t really feel. He toyed with his spoon, suddenly not hungry.

 

“What’s done is done,” Hermione offered softly. “And I thank you most sincerely. I am only too happy to conduct any research you wish if I may continue to stay.”

 

“It seems Draco has rather strong feelings on this issue. I leave it to him.”

 

The two exchanged another look, igniting anger within Lucius’ gut. They had formed a sort of connection to communicate wordlessly like that. Lucius needed to keep his mouth shut if he wanted to maintain any illusion of control.

 

“I feel Hermione should stay as long as she likes. Her work has already added that much to our vaults. And she should not be hidden like some sort of dirty secret,” Draco announced defiantly.

 

“Draco,” Hermione admonished.

 

Lucius ate stiffly, automatically, and said not another word. He was perturbed with Draco for finding the girl. He hated that he’d brought her to the table and dressed her in Narcissa’s old robes. He should have warded his rooms. After he was done eating, he left the table.

 

~*~

 

“I feel ungrateful.”

 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Draco snapped.

 

“I just want to go back to the workroom,” Hermione said softly. Draco was leading her to an actual bedroom and she felt uneasy.

 

“It’s through my father’s _bedroom_. Do you want to go through his _bedroom_?”

 

Hermione shook her head and followed the rest of the way in silence. He made their arrangement sound like something it wasn’t. Lucius had been nothing but courteous to her since he’d found her, since he’d in fact saved her life, and over the short time they’d worked together she’d grown sincerely fond of the older man. More than that, she recognized something in Lucius that was present in herself… and had been for a long time. Loneliness.

 

Draco led her up four flights of stairs and down a familiar corridor. It was the same path to Lucius’ room. Perhaps it was the bedroom wing.

 

“Here,” Draco said, pushing open an inconspicuous door.

 

“It’s cold,” Hermione said. Draco drew his wand and ignited the logs in the fireplace.

 

“Night,” he said without any further attempt at conversation, closing the door after him.

 

Hermione rubbed her arms and looked around. The room was decorated in nondescript white. An open door led to a small bathroom. There was a closed door that appeared to let into an adjoining room but Hermione didn’t feel like exploring. She sat in a chair and wished she was on the cot in Lucius’ workroom. She felt safe there.

 

As Hermione washed her face and got ready for bed, she wondered about Lucius’ behavior at dinner. He’d been deliberately evasive and he’d overreacted about Draco’s concerns. If he didn’t jump as if electrocuted when she touched him, Hermione might think he’d wanted to hide her away for himself. Feeling a bit mad and uncomfortable with the sudden change to her life in the Manor, Hermione fell into a fitful sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Lucius left the doors to his bedroom and workroom open so that Hermione might join him. When he heard her quiet footsteps move into the room, his shoulders relaxed in relief. He wasn’t sure that she would come.

 

“Do you have something I may work on?” she asked.

 

“Draco made it clear that your participation is not necessary,” Lucius replied.

 

“I enjoy it. I am only too happy to-”

 

“Not today,” Lucius interrupted.

 

“May I keep you company, then?”

 

Lucius finally looked up at her. She’d put on Draco’s old robes again. There was a spark of stubbornness in her that he’d not seen since she was a child. “Why?”

 

“Isn’t that part of the reason you brought me here?”

 

Lucius didn’t answer her but stood motionless at his workbench and continued to study her.

 

“I know all about loneliness. You found me utterly alone,” she added.

 

“I don’t want pity,” Lucius growled.

 

“Trust me; I have no pity for you.”

 

Lucius answered her with silence and bent back to his work. He felt the witch move to his side and begin looking over the potion with him. She made a note in the margin, her shoulder brushing his. It was almost painful to have her so close. Knowing that there was nothing between the girl and Draco changed her in Lucius’ mind. She was unclaimed and he wanted her. He’d wanted her for weeks.

 

“Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” he asked in a low tone.

 

When her brown eyes looked up at him, he allowed her to see that he desired her. She touched his cheek and he closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her skin on his.

 

“But Draco,” Lucius muttered. He had to be certain and the girl was no liar.

 

“As unexpected as it may seem, I count him as a friend.”

 

“And am I your friend?” Lucius asked, wrapping his fingers around her wrist. She was a tiny thing.

 

“You are my savior,” she breathed.

 

Lucius went still. She felt obligated. And she was wholly dependent upon him – for the time being.

 

“What is it?” she asked.

 

“No one has ever looked at me the way you just did.”

 

“Lucius, I have no illusions about your character,” Hermione said with a wry smile. “And I like you.”

 

Lucius scowled. She was young. She wanted to tease him. He had no patience for coy witches. When she slid her hands around his neck he gave her a final warning.

 

“I will not stop you,” he hissed.

 

“Good,” she said, raising herself up on her toes to press a kiss to his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from one of my fave beta-readers, Reheniah Bourne: “It’s odd but you could have Hermione being homeless after the war and Lucius finding her and taking her in.”  
> Originally published: Jan 26, 2013


End file.
